Just 190 Amur Tigers Left in Russia

According to the statement made today during a briefing by Maxim Yakovenko, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of Russia, there are just 190 Amur tigers left in the country.

Mr. Yakovenko said the most dangerous to these animals remained local poachers. In 2002, they killed 6 tigers. Mr. Yakovenko said USD 465,000 had been invested in each tiger over the past 5 or 6 years.

The deputy minister emphasised that the problem was hard to resolve and would remain that way as long as local residents were very poor and poaching remained an important part of their incomes. 'What can several rangers do while the territory they take care of is so large and the army of poachers so numerous?', he asked.

He remarked that Amur tigers were not the only animals falling victims to the poor economic situation in the country. In the Far East, for instance, poachers annually kill up to 100 wisents.